Winter Angel
by Tale Slayer
Summary: Meeting Toshiro and finding out about the Shinigami has been the most exciting thing that's ever happened to me. And also the deadliest. Can I really deal with the shinigami, arrancars, and school WITHOUT going crazy? HitsugayaxOC
1. Trouble

**A/N: Wow this is my very first fanfiction ever! Please be kind to me. I really hope you guys will read this, review, show feedback, etc. Thank you so much for actually taking the time to click on this story. This is just the first chapter so keep reading? Promise it'll get better! **

Edited on July 9th, 2013.

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Bleach! No copyright intended.

* * *

***WINTER*ANGEL* **

© _Tale Slayer _

**Chapter One.**

* * *

I absentmindedly twirled one of my pigtails around and looked out the large, school window with sleep-deprived eyes. Yesterday, my part-time job had taken longer than usual, causing me to pull an all-nighter to complete my tedious homework. All I wanted right now was a comfy bed and some time to rest. I allowed my mind to drift off to a million other useless thoughts.

"Sumi-chan!" A voice snapped me back to reality. I heard my best friend, Nakamura Kiyomi, enter the classroom. I looked over and brightened into a smile.

"Good morning!" I greeted her. She turned the chair in front of me around and clambered into it.

"Have you heard? There's a new student coming to our class!" she squealed excitedly. "I heard it's a guy," she squeaked with a wink.

I rolled my eyes and let out a sigh. Here at Karakura High, about 95% of the girls were boy-crazed. They constantly chattered about relationships, guys, or anything that had to do with love. Kiyomi was no exception. But I, being part of the rare 5%, did not share her excitement.

"Gee, I can't wait. I'm practically bursting of excitement," I said, my voice dripping of sarcasm.

Kiyomi pouted. "Oh stop it. I swear there's something wrong with you Katsumi. You never care about the opposite sex. You'll grow old and lonely!"

I laughed, used to her constant teasing. "That's me, forever alone."

Just then our homeroom teacher, Suzuki-sensei, entered the room. Kiyomi gave a tiny wave and returned her chair back around and plopped into it. Suzuki-sensei was a picture perfect example of a boring, unlively teacher. She spoke in a monotone voice and her classes consisted of notes, lectures, notes, and book work. (Did I mention notes?) However, today she wore a youthful flush on her cheek.

"Good morning!" she greeted uncharacteristically. I listened to her warily, suspicious of her sudden happiness. "We have the pleasure of welcoming our newest student here today. I expect everyone to show him a warm welcome!" she giddily rambled on. I turned back to stare out the window. "His name is Hitsugaya Toshiro."

That's when he stepped inside the classroom. I heard everyone's hushed whispers, arousing my curiosity. I immediately knew he was trouble from that moment. Instantly, he captivated everyone's attention. The girls stared at him in awe, their interest evidently shown by the glimmer in their eyes and the blushes on their face. The boys seethed in jealously. Me? I just wondered, "W_ho the heck bleaches their hair white?"_

It was just hate at first sight, I didn't quite understand why. He was good-looking, I'd admit that. Heck, he looked like he was _too _perfect. He had perfect skin, a nice build, and the crisp uniform looked good on him. His bright, snowy white hair was messy in a perfect way. His eyes were a deep aqua color. Then they were suddenly looking at me. I wanted to look away, embarrassed that I was actually caught staring at this stranger. But instead, I started glaring at him.

"Okay! Now let's get you seated Hitsugaya-san!" the teacher said with a disgustingly sweet voice. Suddenly, all the girls seemed to be in a frantic fight to the death in making an available seat by them. I rolled my eyes at them for the umpteenth time today.

"Well, I think it would be best if you sat next to Yukimura-san. She's one of our best students, she would most certainly help you out I'm sure."

It took me a second to process what she just said. Kiyomi turned around and gave me a quick thumbs-up and a sly smile. I inwardly groaned. I could just feel all the deathly glares of envy directed at me right now. If looks could kill, I would be lying on the floor dead.

_Why me? _

Hitsugaya Toshiro looked my way again to locate the vacant seat. My eyes narrowed. He calmly walked over and sat in the chair beside me. He didn't look my way again or say anything to me so neither did I. Then class officially began, uneventfully and slowly. When the bell finally rang, I gathered my things and rushed out with Kiyomi. Well, I _tried _to.

"Wait please Yukimura!" Sensei called. I stopped, a bit irritated because I could already expect what she was about to say. I turned back around. Toshiro was standing besides Suzuki-sensei's desk.

"I'll see you later Sumi-chan," Kiyomi quietly said as she exited the room.

"Well, as I mentioned earlier, I'm sure you'd help out Hitsugaya-san find his classes won't you? I believe he has all the same classes as you," she said with a smile.

I put on a respectful smile and replied obediently, "Yes Sensei, I'll help him. Follow me please Hitsugaya-san."

Once we were out the door, he wordlessly handed me his schedule. Apparently we did have the same classes. _Lucky me, _I grumbled. I dutifully showed him where everything is. On the way, he didn't talk much, so we didn't have much of a conversation. It was awkward walking besides him. People stared and whispered. They probably laughed too, at the sight of me with a perfect, handsome guy.

_Why do I keep thinking he's perfect? Hah, he's probably an idiot._

Lost in my thoughts, I tripped over my own two feet. I bit back a curse. Just as I was about to stop my fall, Toshiro grabbed me and brought me back to my feet.

"Um, thanks. Sorry, I'm kind of clumsy sometimes." I awkwardly thanked him.

"Yeah, no kidding," he spoke to me for the first time.

I glared. So much for thanking him. He should have just let me fall. I started walking faster, hoping to leave him behind. But of course, he kept up with me, completely unfazed. Once we got to the classroom, I told him, "Here we are. Just wait for me after each class and I'll show you the rest of the school."

"It's fine, I'll manage," he said coolly and walked in.

My annoyance with him just kept growing and growing. I wanted to rip his hair out. One perfect, white strand at a time. _Fine, let him go find his own way. Who cares if he gets lost?_

* * *

At the end of the period, Toshiro had already vanished. I frowned, but waved it off. It was lunch time and it was pretty hard to miss the cafeteria; so I didn't bother looking for him. I sat down with my bento. Kiyomi plopped down beside me. Instantly our conversation was about Toshiro, much to my chagrin.

"So, how's Hitsugaya-san?" Kiyomi asked after a mouthful of food. She waggled her brows suggestively.

I sighed. "Can't a girl eat in peace?" I said with a small smile.

She nudged me. "Oh come on! He is totally HOT. How can you _not _be interested in him?"

"He's just a cheeky, unfriendly, antisocial brat," I scoffed.

She ignored me. "He looks like a prince," she said dreamily.

"And he talks like an arrogant one at that," I retorted. But judging by her unwavering look, it was apparent that Toshiro's good looks seemed to make up for any lack in personality.

"You know, I've always been a sucker for those cold-hearted guys. You know, the kind you only find in mangas. They're all cool and collected on the outside but on the inside they turn out to be a big softie," she said ecstatically.

I chuckled. "I don't see Hitsugaya Toshiro as a guy that's a 'big softie on the inside'."

She half-heartedly shoved me. "Why do you always have to go ruin my fantasies?"

I laughed and patted her. "Kiyomi, you could get _any _guy you want. You don't need to fantasize." And that was true. Kiyomi was one of the prettiest girls I knew. She had a nice porcelain face that always had groomed eyebrows, dolly eyes with green circle lens contacts, and small lips. Her healthy, jet black hair with reddish tints here and there was always shiny and cascaded down to her shoulders. She had a thin, model-like frame.

"Oh please, I wish I looked like you," she poked my side. "If only you'd stop braiding your hair and wearing those glasses every day-"

I cut her off and poked her back. "You're the pretty one."

"Flattery?" she smirked. "What do you want?" She feigned annoyance.

"I want you to stop talking about Hitsugaya Toshiro," I said with a triumphant smile.

She gave in reluctantly. "Fine fine."

The bell rang. And slowly, all the students went back to the classroom. I didn't encounter Toshiro again for the rest of the day, which was absolutely fine by me. Time slowly crept by, much to my anguish. But soon enough, the day was over and I was on my way back home. I couldn't help but feel uneasy, like someone was watching me. I shrugged it off. I waved at a little boy who was sitting next to a flower vase. He had been here for the past week. He timidly waved back.

When I finally got home, I unbraided my hair and took off my glasses. I unceremoniously flopped onto my bed and let out a tired sigh. Snuggling deep under my covers, I shut my eyes and drifted off to sleep. My very last thought was: _Thank goodness it's the weekend.  
_


	2. Discovery

**A/N:** I just got my first review earlier and I'm so unbelievable happy! Thank you to **Junoa**, it means so much to me you can't even imagine! I am certainly going to listen to your feedback.

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Bleach! No copyright intended.

* * *

***WINTER*ANGEL* **

© _Tale Slayer _

**Chapter Two.**

* * *

Sunlight streamed in from the window and shined directly on my face. I groaned and indignantly rolled over to the side, covering my eyes with my pillow. It was a Saturday and I was not in the mood to wake up. I glanced at the digital clock beside my bed before trying to go back to sleep. After 10 minutes, it was evident that my stubborn body was not going to go back to sleep. So I got up, grumbling. I checked the refrigerator. Empty. I sighed.

I got ready to go out to get breakfast at a local restaurant and buy groceries afterwards.

* * *

By the time I was done grocery shopping and finishing up other errands, it was around 5 PM. The sun was already setting. I scolded myself for wasting the whole day due to poor time management skills. I shrugged it off since I didn't have any other plans today anyways. While I was walking, I got that feeling of unease again. A gust of wind blew past. I shivered and started walking a little faster. While doing so, I bumped into someone.

I fell unceremoniously; the contents in my grocery bag sprawled across the asphalt. Before I could help myself, I wailed. I picked up a tomato to examine it. It was obviously no good anymore, shown by the beat-up bruises and small cuts. I bit back a curse and looked up at the stranger with a frown. My eyes widened. Teal eyes glared back at me.

"O-oh, good evening Hitsugaya-san," I said as I awkwardly attempted to straighten up.

He scowled. "Do you ever watch where you're going?"

I sheepishly smiled. "Sorry…" I apologized, resisting the urge to scream and shout at him for ruining my tomatoes. I just sighed and started to gather my ruined groceries. He bent down and started helping me. I stared at him in shock. When he held it out to me, I just crouched there, frozen.

"Well?" he grumbled.

I flushed and took it and placed it in the bag. After we picked everything up, I contemplated on what to do next. I could just thank him here and be on my way. But for some reason, a small voice at the back of my head told me that it was dangerous wandering alone today. I _would _have a sense of safety if someone accompanied me; even if I hated him. Finally, I timidly asked him, "Would you mind coming to the grocery store?"

"Hah?" he dumbfoundedly asked.

I grimaced, wishing that I hadn't asked. "Never mind," I said quickly. "Thanks for your help." I spun on my heel to leave.

Behind me, I heard an exasperated sigh. I looked back; he had started following after me. I brightened into a smile. I supposed he _did _have a heart after all.

We both silently walked to the supermarket. I was afraid that if I said anything, he would change his mind about accompanying me. I took out my shopping list, which I had thankfully kept.

"I just need to get some vegetables and fruits, which got ruined. Do you mind finding a watermelon? Just a small one," I asked him.

He grunted. I went off to find a few other things. When I was finished, I went back to find him. He held a nice, small watermelon. I lined up at the register and paid.

We were out the door, and I realized that another hour had probably passed. I heard a faint beep. He stopped and pulled out something that looked like a cell phone and glanced at the screen. "Tch. I have to go somewhere. Hurry up and go home."

I tried to ignore his rudeness. "O-oh. Thanks for your help."

His brows furrowed, like he was worried about something.

"Is something the matter?" I asked worriedly.

He shook his head and started walking in the opposite direction. I sighed at his unfriendly behavior. I set off to go home. It was getting pretty dark. The same ominous chill from the afternoon crept up on me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I whirled around, half-hoping that Toshiro was still there so that I could ask him to walk home with me. He wasn't. I tried to calm down.

"Stop being such a big baby Katsumi. You're 14. You can walk home yourself," I muttered, trying to reassure myself. Yet I nearly wet myself when I heard a sudden creaking noise. I looked up in paranoia. It was just an old swing that moved due to the wind. I scolded myself for freaking out and remind myself that I was just walking past the local park now. A nearby bush rustled.

_-Whoosh-_

I stopped in my tracks. "Hello?" I called out, trying to sound confident but instead, it came out more as a squeak.

"Found you~" I heard a slimy voice say. My blood churned, I was too frightened to turn around. That wasn't a problem because the stranger appeared before me. A strange man smiled at me. I immediately shuddered at the sight of him. He looked like he was dressed for Halloween, donning black and white robes. He had a pale white face that was partially covered with a mask. But what freaked me out the most was that he had a hole in his chest. And held a sword.

"Hime," he said. I flinched. Then a beast stalked out of the shadows. I realized that it was what the man was calling. If I wasn't already having a panic attack, I was definitely going to now. Much to my horror, 'Hime' was a monster about the size of a horse with multiple eyes and arms. It snorted.

"Fetch that girl for me," he nodded in my direction. My eyes widened. My legs, which had miraculously turned to jelly, would not move. The monstrosity snarled at me and started running full-speed towards me.

_So this is how I die. _

I shut my eyes, waiting for my death. But it never came. I cautiously opened an eye. A figure stood before me. He wore a black kimono and a white haori. It was labeled with the kanji for 10. A familiar head of snowy white hair sat atop his head.

"I told you to hurry home," a husky voice said.

"Hitsugaya-san?" I gaped in disbelief. He evidently ignored me. I saw Hime disintegrate with a final yelp.

The mysterious man still stood.

"Ah, a shinigami. And a captain no less! Sorry, but I don't have time to play with you today. I'm here for that girl. Yukimura Katsumi," he said calmly, despite his… comrade being slain before his very eyes.

I froze, not knowing how or why he knew my name. Toshiro's eyes narrowed.

"Why do you want her?" he asked, as if I was nothing of importance. This one time though, I agreed with him. I'd never done anything so that I'd be wanted by a freaky man and his monster.

"That's really none of your business," he said calmly, drawing his sword. He dashed towards Toshiro and raised his sword. Toshiro blocked it with a bare hand.

"Too slow," he muttered. He raised his own sword and killed the man with a single stab. I squeezed my eyes shut. A few seconds passed. Everything seemed to be normal again. But I couldn't shake the sight of the event out of my mind.

"Are you ok?"

I looked up to find Toshiro staring at me. I let out a shaky breath I didn't know I had been holding. I noticed I had unconsciously curled up into a tight, defensive ball. I stared at him, trying to find the right words. I opened and closed my mouth like a dying fish.

"What just happened?" I asked. He merely sighed.

"Follow me," he gestured. I got up and did so. Heck, he didn't have to tell me twice. I was dumbfounded and flabbergasted at what had just ensued.

He led me to a bright house. The lights leaked out, which I was thankful for. It gave me reassurance that everything was going to be fine. He opened the door.

"Matsumoto!" He called out.

"Yessss Taichou? A tall, beautiful woman came into the room. She had a curvaceous figure, long wavy ginger hair, and striking blue eyes. I shifted uncomfortably, wondering why she was calling him 'captain'. Unless Toshiro had a weird fetish and this was his girlfriend. That idea just made me even more uncomfortable. Her eyes fixated onto me. I bit my lip. If this really was his girlfriend, Toshiro's stupid fangirls at school had absolutely no chance.

"Oh! Taichou, you brought a girl over!" she squealed excitedly, jumping around. I blinked in surprise. She walked up to me with a huge smile. "What's your name, cutie? I'm Matsumoto Rangiku."

"Nice to meet Matsumoto-san. I'm Yukimura Katsumi," I introduced myself.

"Just call me Rangiku, Katsumi-chan! Ooh, why don't you stay for dinner? We have some leftovers, but I could whip up another batch of food," she rambled on.

Toshiro cut her off. "Enough. Where's the memory chikan?" The words were foreign to me.

Rangiku pouted. "Aww, already?" she complained as she took out a container with a bunny on top. She popped out a green candy-looking object. Then she suddenly advanced towards me. "Say ahhh~"

Then I realized what she's about to do and immediately try to get away. I hissed like a cat avoiding a bath. "Hey. Wait. You can't force that into me." But she grabbed my arm. "I don't do drugs!" I wailed as a last attempt to get her to stop. She laughed and popped it into my mouth. I involuntarily gulped. They stared at me expectantly. I stared back.

"Well? I ate your candy. Now will you please tell me what's going on?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"Impossible! Her memories should be gone!" Toshiro muttered with incredulous eyes. I paled when he said that. Rangiku stared at me with serious eyes. Then her gaze became playful once again.

"Oh well! Let's go eat!" she chirped, as if nothing had happened. She left the room before I could even speak.

"Matsumoto! This is no time for food!" Toshiro called after her, pinching his nose bridge in annoyance. He shook his head then looked at me. "I guess you're staying for dinner. Brace yourself." He motioned me into the kitchen. I followed him. On the table was a dish of... something. I snuck a little bite. The 'unique' flavor hit me like a truck and my face turned a shade of green. I immediately tried to spit it out without them noticing.

Toshiro saw me. "Her cooking … needs improvement." He chose his words carefully.

I awkwardly laughed. "Um, Rangiku-san. If you don't mind, I'll cook. I don't want to be a bother," I offered.

Rangiku looked up. "Ok, if you want to!" Thankfully, she stepped back and handed me apron and allowed me full access to the kitchen. I made a quick meal of omurice. When I was done, I set it on the table.

"I hope you enjoy it, sorry if it's not to your liking."

Luckily, they didn't seem to hate it. "Wow Katsumi-chan! You HAVE to come over and cook for us every day! Pleeease?"

I smiled, feeling warm from being praised. But then stupid Toshiro butted in, "Idiot, how could she come every day? Her family wouldn't like that."

My smile turned grim. "Oh, it's ok. I don't have a family anyways," I said, trying to play it off as nothing. Rangiku observed me. I could see pity in her eyes. But I didn't want her to ask anything so I quickly sat down and changed the subject.

"Um so, could you tell me what happened?" I questioned.

Toshiro shook his head immediately. "Absolutely not. It has nothing to do with you."

I scoffed. "I hardly call someone tracking me down and drying to kidnap me 'nothing to do with me'." I glared at him. He coldly looked at me.

"Are you always trying to jump into other people's business?" he demanded.

"Are _you _always trying to erase other people's memories without their consent?" I retorted with a determined glint in my eyes.

He shook his head exasperatedly. "You honestly want to remember a Hollow attacking you?"

I ignored him and focused on the word 'hollow'. "Hollow? Is that what it was?" I questioned excitedly.

Toshiro sighed for the umpteenth time today and stood up. "Thank you for the meal. It was much better than this imbecile's cooking. I'll walk you home now."

I nodded in dejection, knowing that he wouldn't change his mind, "It's no problem. I'll be fine walking by myself." I got up to leave. "Bye Rangiku-san." She waved at me sadly as I left.

As he walked me home, I complained. "You didn't have to escort me home."

He shrugged. "I don't know why you're being targeted. You could be attacked any moment."

"Me and you both," I said. "Which is why I should be informed about the attackers so I have a clue into what I should do," I urged him. He didn't waver.

_Okay. It's official. I hate this guy. _

"You're so stubborn!" I stamped my foot like a 5-year-old throwing a tantrum.

"And you aren't?" he retorted.

Without looking back, I stomped away to my house without saying goodbye. He didn't either.

* * *

I flopped onto my bed and let out a long sigh. I was already exhausted and today was my off day from my part-time job. I was irritated but most of all, bewildered as to why this was happening to _me._ I glanced at myself in the mirror and then froze in horror.

_Great, did I look like this the whole day? … First world problems. _I didn't bother to unbraid my hair and took off my glasses to rub my eyes. My room was small. It was in an apartment complex that was extremely affordable. The room I lived in was unwanted so the manager offered it to me to at a dirt cheap price. It had a small bathroom and a tiny kitchen. The bedroom was also small, but I found it to be cozy. I was perfectly aware that I was poor. But I didn't care.

I laid down and drifted off into a dreamless night of sleep.


	3. Escort

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Bleach! No copyright intended.

* * *

***WINTER*ANGEL* **

© _Tale Slayer _

**Chapter** **Three.**

* * *

"Oi."

. . .

"Oi."

. . .

"OI! HOW LONG ARE YOU GONNA SLEEP?"

I jolted up in and tried to rub the sleep out of my eyes. I didn't remember having an alarm clock that could speak. That's when I saw Hitsugaya Toshiro crouched on my window sill, in his school uniform. Multiple questions immediately came to mine; yet I could not find the ability to voice them all. Instead, I babbled like an idiot, "H-h-h-how? I live on the top-" I put on my glasses to make sure he was actually there and that I wasn't simply hallucinating.

He rolled his eyes. "Hurry up and get ready."

I closed my eyes. "I think I need more sleep. There's no way someone could've gotten up here on my _window._" I was just about to lay back down but he jumped in the room and pulled me up.

"Oi, I don't have time for this!" He gave me a shake.

I giggled stupidly, still half-asleep. "Is your favorite word 'oi'?"

He sighed exasperatedly. "I shouldn't have come here," he muttered.

I put my hands up in surrender. "Ok, ok. I'll get ready. But in my defense, anyone in their right mind would be shocked if someone suddenly broke into their home."

"I didn't break in. Your window was open," he casually retorted. He jumped off. I blinked. I really needed to get used to these kinds of things.

I rebraided my hair and put on my uniform. Knowing that Toshiro was waiting, I rushed down and saw him outside the front doors. He was just nonchalantly sitting down on a bench yet it was heart breaking how good-looking he was. When he saw me, he stood up.

"I'm walking you to school so nothing happens, like yesterday," he explained before I could ask.

"Oh. So you're babysitting me," I translated.

"Call it what you want," he simply replied.

"Well, thanks I guess," I timidly offered him a half-hearted thank you.

We walked in silence, like always. Then I was suddenly tackled into a hug by Yamada Daichi, the most annoying person on earth. Rambunctious as always, even in the early morning. He was as dumb as a box of rocks. I had no idea why all the girls were crazed over him. And the worst part was, he always seemed to be bothering _me_. Was I an idiot-attractor?

"Awww, Sumi! You could've just told me if you wanted to walk with a guy to school! No need to ask Midget-chan over here," he taunted carelessly with a sly smile.

I was annoyed and apparently Toshiro was too. With veins popped, he glared at Daichi.

"Who says I was walking with her?" he snapped.

"Fine then. I'll just take her. Come with me Sumi!" he started to drag me along.

I twisted my arm out of his grasp. "Yamada-san, please release me. I'm not walking with anyone. I always walk alone to school. Now leave me alone." I said through gritted teeth.

"You're so cute Sumi, pretending you have no feelings for me," he cooed. "Aye Midget-chan, don't even try to woo her. You have no chance. Get in line with the other losers."

I listened in horror and flushed. _Why oh why did _he _have to show up today of all days? _"Stop making up lies Yamada! I care more about pinecones than I do for you!" I scoffed. I truly did not want to be associated with this idiot.

"That hurt Sumi!" Daichi feigned actual sadness. Before he could keep babbling, I kept walking furiously.

Then another person called me. "Kaichou!"

_Just what I needed, _more_ worry. Why did I ever agree to being the student council president for the underclassmen again? _

"Kaichou, we need you at the meeting we're about to hold," one of the members of the student council informed me.

I nodded. "Is it about the upcoming festival?"

Since it was autumn, Karakura High was planning its infamous Cultural Festival. A time of fun, games, contests, and excitement. But for me, all it was was stress, stress, and more stress. I had completely forgotten about it ever since Toshiro came. Later today in homeroom, I'd have to find out what our class (Class 1-1) would do for the festival. I thought and planned as I walked to the meeting room.

* * *

The meeting was pretty boring. But that was to be expected. When I returned to class, I asked the Suzuki-sensei for permission to make the announcement. It was granted of course. I hated speaking in front of crowds, which was pretty funny since I was the council president.

"Ahem," I started. "I'd just like to announce on the behalf of the student council that the Fall Festival will be here soon. So I'd just like to see if there were any requests on what our class would do for the festival."

People started to whisper amongst each other. One girl raised her hand, "I think we should do a haunted house!" Another girl shouted out, "No way! Fashion show!" Yet another girl interjected, "Restaurant!" I kept track of all the ideas on a notepad.

Then a stupid boy raised his hand. "Maid café." The room went quiet.

The boys all roared in agreement. Most of the girls blushed and half-heartedly protested. I heaved a sigh. Stupid hormonal, perverted boys. I recorded the idea.

_You have to be joking. Is this some cheesy manga scene? _

"Well, we'll be doing a vote now. I'll be handing out everyone a sheet of paper to write down your choice," I calmly sighed. On the inside, I hoped that the 'maid cafe' wouldn't win.

When I came by Toshiro's seat, he didn't vote. I merely arched an eyebrow at him. Of course, when I counted all the votes, maid café was indeed the winner. I announced the winner unhappily. The guys all cheered, some shouting, "You heard her! Girls have to wear maid costumes and serve!"

I snapped, "I suggest you all calm down before we make this a trans-gender maid café." They all silenced, much to my amusement.

* * *

During lunch, I was heading towards the cafeteria to join Kiyomi who had already left. But I noticed a certain head of white hair walking by. I followed and saw he was going to the rooftop. For some reason, I came up as well. He noticed me.

"Is your hobby following people so you can bother them?" he asked without turning around.

"Aw, I was just coming to say hi." I sheepishly said.

"No need."

"Well fine Mr. Grumpy Pants. But I don't know why you're up here. I don't see any food up here."

"I'm not hungry," he obviously lied. A growl from his stomach gave him away.

I smirked knowingly. "Well now. Perhaps if you begged me, I'll share some of my bento. Made by yours truly."

He eyed my bento. "Fine, but I'm not begging."

* * *

**Thanks again for reading! Please stay tuned in for more. I find that I really like writing this story. Even if I get very few readers :)**


	4. Truth

**A/N: **Hello! Nice day to write a chapter so I did. Hope you enjoy it. Review if you have any concerns or suggestions! Thank you~

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Bleach! No copyright intended.

* * *

***WINTER*ANGEL* **

© _Tale Slayer _

**Chapter Four.**

* * *

"Fine, you don't have to beg. But you could at least ask like a civilized person. You are starving after all," I pointed out, as I untied the wrap holding the box.

"It's just because of Matsumoto's useless cooking," he replied stubbornly.

I nodded understandingly, still traumatized from experiencing her _unique _cooking. I opened up my lunch box and offered it to him. "Here. You go ahead."

As he began to tentatively eat, I asked him curiously, "Are you going to the Fall Festival? It's next week."

He smirked. "With you in charge? I can see destruction happening already. What idiot made you president?"

I feigned offense, "Hey! I'll have you know many people believe that I'm very reliable. I wouldn't be insulting the person who's kindly sharing you food. Is it good?" My eyes sparkled.

He grunted.

"I'll take that as a yes." I broke into a wide smile.

"You talk a lot."

I pouted. "That's hurtful. Aren't we friends now?"

He stopped. "I never said we were friends."

I stopped smiling and my gaze fell. He was really blunt. "Well you could've said that before I let you eat all my lunch," I said in an attempt to lighten the mood again.

He looked down. Sure enough, it was all gone. Not a crumb left.

"It's fine!" I interjected. "I wasn't hungry anyways. And I'll just see it as a compliment that you ate all my food. But in exchange, you must promise that you will become my friend!"

He wavered over the decision. "I'll think about it." I guessed that was as best as I would get so I didn't press on. "Anyways, I have the duty of watching over you, now that you're targeted for some reason," he continued.

I frowned. "I don't need a babysitter you know. I'm 14 and I've been fine all these years. I don't know why that guy said that I was a target either."

"I have to protect you. It's my responsibility."

I slightly blushed and immediately hated myself for that. I turned so that he couldn't see me. "If it helps you sleep at night then fine. But not tomorrow."

He sighed. "Look I already told you, I have to. Those are my orders."

"I know, I know! But not tomorrow!"

"Why?" he demanded.

"Anyways, who gave you the orders? You have a boss?" I tried to change the subject.

"Yukimura," he growled.

"Hey, that was the first time you actually said my name!" I laughed.

He glared.

"Ok. It's just that I have a part-time job tomorrow." I admitted.

"Then I'll just wait there," he replied, unworried.

"No you can't!" I stammered.

"Why?"

I was stubborn. "Because."

He slapped his forehead. "Because what?!"

I turned and reached for the door. "Never mind, you can't just follow me around. It's creepy."

But he blocked my way and crossed his arms, indicating he wasn't going to budge. "For some reason, you have been targeted." He repeated. "Thus, you are now involved in my mission here in Karakura Town."

I started to say something.

"_SO_. I will inform you about what you want to know if YOU answer a few questions yourself. _Including _where you work."

I frowned. "Why must you be such a good bargainer?"

"Why are _you_, a 14 year old, working part-time?" he retorted.

"Touché," I joked. Then in a serious manner I said, "If I didn't work, I'd be out in the streets by now." That effectively made Toshiro shut up with his smart comebacks. I took out a pen and a slip of paper out of my bag and wrote down the address of my job. I handed it to him.

"Here, since you're so focused on stalking me. I work there on Thursdays and Fridays after school."

"What is this place?" he inquired.

"J-just see for yourself," I stalled. "Now, you promise you'll tell me everything?"

"I'm a man of my word."

I stifled a laugh. "Shouldn't you be a little taller before you go calling yourself a man?" I couldn't help but crack a joke.

Of course, Toshiro didn't find it funny. But it was comical at how angry he got. "You- I'M DECADES OLDER THAN YOU!"

I was laughing so much, tears were threatening to spill from my eyes. I calmed down. "Ok. Just cross your heart that you'll tell me everything. _And _that you won't ever try to erase my memories again."

He grumbled. "Cross my heart?"

I looked at him, surprised. "Yeah you know. Cross your heart, hope to die, stick a needle in your eye?" I demonstrated by making an invisible X over my heart.

He sighed. "That's so childish. Do you ever see anyone of higher status using that ridiculous method to seal deals?"

I pointed at him. "Just cross it! Cross your heart to me!"

Reluctantly, he crossed his heart. I nodded satisfyingly. "So you trust me now? Just like that?"

"Well, yeah. But it wouldn't have mattered anyways. We're friends. No matter what you think!" I told him firmly.

He looked away. "Idiot," he muttered under his breath.

The bell rang. "I'll see you after school at your house then!" I said goodbye and happily went to next period.

* * *

Throughout the school day, I really just thought about all the possibilities of the secrets Toshiro and Rangiku were hiding.

_They could be spies from another country. Or assassins. _

When the final bell rang, I practically leaped out of my chair. I quickly said goodbye to Kiyomi and ran after Toshiro.

When I finally caught up to him, I called out to him. "Wait for me!"

Of course, he didn't wait. If anything, he started walking faster. "You're mean!" I whined.

He turned back and smirked. "You walk slow."

We got to the house and went in. I was greeted by Rangiku's massive chest in my face.

"Katsumi-chan, I missed you so much! Captain's such boring company. He doesn't care about me at all! Did you know he even rejects the good lunch boxes I make him every day?" she sighed. "Ahh, I'm so glad you're here."

I laughed. "It's nice to see you to Rangiku."

"Alright, enough of that. Let's get down to business." Toshiro interrupted.

"Uptight," I whispered. Rangiku busted out laughing while Toshiro glared. I took a seat.

He got right to the point. "As you probably know, Matsumoto and I are shinigami."

"What are shinigami?" I asked.

"Death gods. Soul reapers. We are guardians of the souls who are going through the circle of transmigration. We come from Soul Society, the afterlife."

I paused, "So, you're saying you help the dead…? And you're from the afterlife?" That's when I realized. "Does that mean _you're _dead?" I asked dumbly, yet fascinated.

"Yes," he answered impatiently. "I told you; I'm decades older than you. I'm in my hundreds."

I took this in.

He continued. "I'm the 10th division captain. Matsumoto is my lieutenant."

I stifled a laugh. "You're a captain?"

His veins popped. I could tell this wasn't the first time he heard this question. "YES I'M A CAPTAIN."

I put my hands up. "Wow, you must be quite the prodigy. But why are you here in Karakura Town?"

"Karakura Town is endangered due to our enemy, Azien, and his army of arrancar," he explained. His tone grew omnimous.

"Who's Azien? And what about the arrancars?"

"You don't need to know who Azien is. Arrancar are hollows who have removed their mask and gained shinigami powers. They're able to wield a zanpakuto."

"Zanpakuto?" I kept reloading with questions.

"They're our weapons. Each zanpakuto is unique and their shape and abilities greatly vary based on the shinigami's, or arrancar's, soul. Okay, that's enough information."

I nodded. "Thanks for telling me. I cross my heart that I won't tell anyone."

Rangiku cutted in, "Aw we know you won't!" Then turning to Toshiro, she chirped, "Captain, we need to introduce Katsumi to Renji, Ikkaku, and Yumichika when they return!"

Toshiro squeezed the bridge of his nose. "Who cares about those imbeciles?" He looked at me. "Go home now; before it gets dark."

"Wait! But if you say that Karakura Town is in danger, how come there's been no news or reports or anything? What about the government? Why aren't they doing anything?"

"None of the humans know anything about this. You don't need the law enforcement cause we're patrolling," he explained as he waved me off. "Matsumoto, you take her home."

"Aw, are you sure you wanna miss up on some alone time with Katsumi?" she teased.

We both flushed. He barked out a rude NO.

"I don't wanna be stuck with that chibi anyways!" I stuck my tongue out at him and then ran out the door before he could throw something at me.

_Yup, today had been a pretty satisfying day._


	5. Surprise

**A/N:** Hey guys! First update for the week. I had a mild writer's block. Sooo I went back and reread a LOT of the Bleach manga and researched and such. Hehe anyways, I have a little surprise! Today's chapter is going to be narrated by Toshiro! Tell me what you think? Oh and thank you to **hitherelovely **and **Anies2012 **for their lovely reviews :) As always, enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own Bleach! No copyright intended.

* * *

***WINTER*ANGEL* **

© _Tale Slayer _

**Chapter Five.**

* * *

**Hitsugaya Toshiro POV**

I groggily glanced at the alarm clock. It read 7:00 - time to get up. Normally I wouldn't be this tired but last night, a certain irresponsible, drunk, lazy excuse of a lieutenant wouldn't stop bothering me. My head hurt just from thinking back on it.

_"Lighten up Captain! We haven't been in the World of Living for a while now, we have to enjoy it. Have a drink~"she slurred with a red face.  
_

_"MATSUMOTO YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE FILING YOUR REPORTS, NOT LYING THERE DRINKING!" _

My blood boiled thinking about all the paperwork I'd have to be doing in place of her. But now was not the time to be thinking about that. I had to find Yukimura. Every time I wasn't around, I would notice some source of reiatsu lurking around her. Not that she ever noticed. The simpleton didn't pay attention to her surroundings whatsoever.

"Captain, I made you your lunch! And, I even put in your favorite. Watermelons!" Matsumoto called out.

"I don't need it." I replied back. Whatever she made would be ruined by her horrible cooking skills. Poor watermelon. What a waste.

She poked her head in, holding a ladle in one hand. "So what're you gonna eat? You're gonna buy lunch?" She pouted.

I didn't bother to respond.

"Or..." she continued teasingly with a sly smile. "Is a girl perhaps bringing you lunch?" She winked.

I couldn't help but feel flustered. "I'll find food!" I snapped.

"Oh I'm right? You ARE getting lunch from a girl!" she squealed. "There's no need to be embarrassed~ Even though I'm in the junior class, I've heard about the rumors about girls falling for you left and right!"

Not tolerating her stupidity any longer, I headed out the door wordlessly.

"I'll see you at school then!" she hollered excitedly.

* * *

School was a bore. Nothing was ever a challenge. Including gym class, which I was currently in right now. The coach blew a whistle.

"Alright, listen up! We're about to play dodge ball. Let's split up into two teams- girls and boys. Who wants to be captain for each?" he called out.

I mentally groaned. Now I had to work together with these fools. I noticed the girls gathering on the other side of the gym. They huddled and murmured around one girl, Yukimura. I scoffed. She had to be the clumsiest, uncoordinated person here and they were making _her_ team captain? But she had a determined look on her face. Then, she noticed me and grinned. She mouthed the words, "_You're going down!" _tauntingly. I rolled my eyes with a slight smirk. _As if. _

I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Hey buddy. I'm gonna be the captain of this team!" I could already tell who it was without turning just by the sound of the obnoxious voice. It was that Yamada kid, who was obsessed with Yukimura.

"Fine," I shrugged nonchalantly, not really caring.

His eyes narrowed. "You must not be a good athlete. I, on the other hand, will amaze everyone here with my skills. So step aside you bratty, little_-_"

A whistle cut him off. "You guys know what to do. Team captains, to the middle!"

Yamada sauntered up to Yukimura with a confident smirk. "Hey, just because it's you Katsumi, don't expect me to go easy on you. In fact," he smiled mischievously. "How about we make a little bet?"

She grimaced. "No thank you."

"Are you scared~" he provoked her.

"No," she snapped. "I just don't want you to be embarrassed getting beaten by girls." Yamada turned red.

The coach clapped once. "Okay fine, whichever team captain loses has to do whatever the other wants for a day. Whatever, let's get started." Then he muttered under his breath, "I don't get paid enough."

Yamada smiled victoriously. "You heard him Katsumi! I'm already planning our date in my head right now!"

She rolled her eyes, "Not even in your dreams will I ever go out with you."

A lot of the guys near me sighed. "Tch, that Daichi! Using us to get Katsumi-chan."

"Poor Yukimura-san. But I'm kinda hoping that if Daichi wins the bet, he'll make her cosplay for a whole day. How lucky would we be?!"

"It's not fair! I like Katsumi way more than Daichi!"

I grimaced. Some of the girls came up to me and tried to speak to me but I simply ignored them. But they wouldn't go back and kept pestering me. "Hitsugaya-kun, good luck!" "I was gonna tell him that!" "Hitsugaya-kun would you like to eat with me later?" "I was gonna ask him!" "I made him a bento already!"

I growled. _So annoying. _"No thanks," I answered as calmly as I could. Then the whistle screeched yet again.

"Back to your places! The match will now begin!" Everyone scurried to their side of the room. Yukimura and Yamada stood poised at the center to grab as many balls as they could for their teams.

"3. 2. 1. GO." The coach blew his whistle.

Instantly, Yamada grabbed the basket of balls and emptied practically all of it out to our side. The guys around me immediately picked it up and aimed for the weak looking girls. But unexpectedly, Yukimura caught almost all of these throws. Dozens of boys were out and sat down.

"FIRE!" I heard a command on the other side. With that, many of the girls hurdled balls. I dodged any of them that came my way easily. But more than half of my team was out just from that attack.

"Man, c'mon! Help out the team!" Yamada pleaded to me. He took out a lot of the girls with a few throws. I stood there indifferently. I didn't really see why I should help him out. I shrugged. _Guess it wouldn't hurt. _I picked up three balls and hurled them all at once. At least 6 girls were out. I could see Yukimura frown. A roar came from the sitting boys. "Get 'em Hitsugaya-san!" I heard a few squeals from the girls.

Eventually, it came down to me, Yamada, and Yukimura.

"Looks like it's over Sumi-chan!" he taunted. "I can't wait to- OOF" He was hit right in the face with a ball.

"Shut up! You're so annoying!" a red-faced Yukimura growled. Then she flung a ball towards me but I evaded it. I picked up a ball, about to end this game.

An arrogant Yamada yelled out, "Yeahhh Hitsugaya! Win this!" I halted, remembering that if we won, Yukimura would have to listen to that idiot for a whole day. I looked over at her, Yukimura's eyes seemed to plead me to let her win.

I dropped the ball. "Sorry team captain. '_I must not be a good athlete. I'm just a little brat_." I smirked.

Yamada sputtered, "Oh come on, I didn't mean that! W-what are you doing?"

I picked up the ball again and walked up to the boundary line. I threw the ball with a force of a 3-year old. She caught the ball, smiling. "Thanks," she whispered.

I turned around, ignoring Yamada's whining and all the hushed squeals of the girls.

* * *

I laid on the rooftop of the school, where people rarely came. It was the end of the school day.

"Captainnnnn! What are you doing here?" a voice instantly shattered my temporary peace. A tick formed on my forehead.

I slowly sat up. Matsumoto, Kuchiki Rukia, and Kurosaki Ichigo came up. I mentally prepared myself for bickering and annoying comments.

"Good afternoon Hitsugaya-taichou." Kuchiki bowed. I nodded at her.

"What's up Toshiro?" Kurosaki casually greeted me without respect as always. He never learned.

A vein popped. I growled, "It's Hitsugaya-taichou to you!" I reminded him for the thousandth time. He waved me off.

"How long have you been here? It's not good for little kids to skip class you know!" Matsumoto scolded.

"And you don't skip? Besides, I'm _not _a little kid." I retorted, annoyed. All I wanted was some peace and quiet for once.

"Oh, aren't you supposed to go to Katsumi's work place today?" she remarked. I nodded.

"Katsumi? Yukimura Katsumi?" Kurosaki suddenly interjected.

"Yeah. You know her?" I asked. My interest slightly peaked.

"Yeah. Honey brown eyes, pigtails, glasses? Student council pres?" he asked thoughtfully.

"That's her! Isn't she a cutie?" Matsumoto laughed.

He rubbed his neck awkwardly, flushing. "Don't ask me that stuff! Ask Keigo! He's like obsessed with her even though she's like 2 years younger than us." He referred to his dumb, hormonal, crazy human friend.

"Oi. What do you know about her? A few days ago, an arrancar showed up claiming that he was ordered to take her to Hueco Mundo." I interrupted.

He scratched his head. "Well, I don't know that much about her. I've seen her around whenever she comes to the clinic. She used to play with Karin and Yuzu sometimes too. All I know is that she came to Karakura Town without a family and she's pretty talented."

"Talented?" I scoffed.

"Um, you know. Academics, sports, cooking, singing, dancing, fighting, drawing…" he trailed off.

"Drawing!" Kuchiki nodded approvingly. "Perhaps she'd like to draw with me someday."

"Tch, idiot! No one would want to draw with you!" Kurosaki complained. Kuchiki socked him in the face and started to comically stomp on him.

"What about her spiritual awareness? She could see Matsumoto and I when we were shinigami and the memory chikan didn't work on her."

He blinked. "Well I don't know. I never noticed. You think she has some powers like Orihime's?" I wondered that as well.

"Speaking of Orihime, she should be returning today right? She said something about going to train or something," Kuchiki said thoughtfully.

I stood up. "Leaving captain?" Matsumoto asked.

I nodded. "I'm gonna make sure she doesn't get kidnapped while no one's watching her."

"Ooooh~ You must care a lot about her," Matsumoto teased while Kurosaki stifled a laugh. I shot a death glare their way and they both shut up. I took out the slip of paper with the address and flash stepped away.

* * *

_What the hell is this. _

I stood before a building with glass doors and windows. Frilly pink curtains were open. Window boxes were full of flowers. The inside was so bright you could it from the outside. Across the top of the building, in large bold letters read 'Sweet Hut". Underneath that was 'Maid Café'.

_You have to be kidding me. _

I face palmed, stopping to think if I should go in or not. Then two of the employees noticed me. They pointed at me with blushing faces and whispered to each other. Then they walked up to me with a determined glint in their eyes.

"Goshuujin-sama~ Please come in!" one of them chirped. I looked away, slightly embarrassed I had been caught standing here. I immediately decided to not go in, or else people would think I was a perverted otaku. I turned to walk away but they both grabbed me.

"Now now Goshuujin-sama, we'd reeeally like it if you came in!" they said with a demonic smile and grabbed either side of me.

When I was dragged inside, they both let go and I heard another employee walked up to me.

"Good afternoon Goshuujin-sama! How may I help you today?" A syrupy sweet voice asked.

I turned around. When she saw me, her eyes immediately widened. "I'm looking for someone named Katsumi. She should work here…" The maid grabbed a fistful of my shirt and pulled me away to the back. This dragging thing was getting pretty annoying.

"Oi, if you're taking me to her, there's no need to drag me like this," I complained.

We exited to the back. She released her hold on me and angrily whirled around. She tapped her foot expectedly, like she was waiting for something.

"IDIOT! Are you _blind_?" Her voice no longer dripped with sweetness and joy.

My brows furrowed. "Hah?" I asked dumbly.

She whacked me on the head. "I'm right here dumbass!" She exclaimed with her hands on her hips.

I stared in shock. Now that I looked at her more carefully, she was Yukimura.

"Y-yukimura?"

She huffed. "Duh."

She wasn't wearing her glasses and her hair was in two pigtails like usual. Instead, her dark brown hair cascaded all the way down to her mid back. She wore a lacy pale blue and white maid uniform. Her large honey brown eyes stared at me.

"Stop staring at me," she snapped, furiously blushing.

I scratched my head and looked away. "O-oh. Well, why are you working at a maid café?" I questioned incredulously.

"It was the only place that actually let me work. You know, since I'm 14." She was still blushing. "This is why you didn't need to follow me to my workplace!"

"Whatever! I'll just patrol out here while you go work!" I angrily replied.

She stopped. "Huh? Just come inside."

I crossed my arms. There was no way I was going in there. "No."

She became her usual stubborn, over happy self. "Aw come on. I'll give you something off the menu for free!"

I paused.

"What do you want?" she chirped.

I rubbed my neck. "A-amanatto," I muttered.

She arched an eyebrow. "Amanatto?" She laughed. "You like amanatto? You're such an old man!"

My brows furrowed in annoyance. "Forget it!" I started walking away.

"Wait! Come on, I'll make you amanatto," she stopped me.

I mentally growled. I couldn't say no to free amanatto. She smiled at me knowingly and turned the doorknob. She gestured me to go inside. "You know you want to~" I held my head up in pride.

"I'm only staying out of consideration," I said, making up a poor excuse.

She laughed and mock-saluted. "Yes, I understand Goshuujin-sama. Now get inside before I decide to feed you poisoned amanatto!"

* * *

I sipped my watermelon smoothie. Yet another blushing maid came up to me. "Can I help you with-"

"No," I cut her off. _So irritating._ She scurried off sadly.

"I have your order of amanatto." Yukimura came up, smiling. As she bent down to set down the dish, she whacked my head and glared at me and quietly said, "Stop being rude."

I rolled my eyes.

"Ah, Sumi-chan! I'm ready to order!" another customer called.

"Yes, I'll be right there!" Yukimura quickly reverted back to a nice, obedient personality. I observed the room. Sure, there were some humans that hungrily stared at her, but no sign of arrancars or serious danger.

I listened in to the conversation between Yukimura and the customer.

"What would you like today Goshuujin-sama? I would recommend the omurice." She dutifully held a notepad and pen in her hand.

"Yeah yeah. But Sumi-chan, what I really want is _you,_" his grubby hands latched onto one of her wrist.

She shook him off, unworried. "Customer-san, please don't grab me like that," she said through a forced smile.

The situation escalated quickly. "Come on. I know about your financial issues. I'd be more than happy to pay you a very generous amount per hour," he licked his lips. Her face slightly scrunched up in disgust. I prepared to get up before this got out of hand.

"I'm not interested. Now please order before I have to call security," she answered coldly.

"Ne, don't be like that. Is that any way to treat your Goshuujin-sama?" He laughed and attempted to grab her again.

But this time she stopped him. "I said I'm not interested," she replied coldly.

He grew angry. "You think you're too good for me? You think you're in any position to decline?" By now, other customers were noticing the conflict.

She kept calm. "I'm afraid I have to ask you to leave now. You're disturbing others."

"_Bitch!_" He knocked the seat over and was about to pick her up. I stood up. But before I could do anything, she slapped him, leaving a bright red mark on his face.

"Out. NOW," she pointed to the exit.

He grumbled as he exited.

* * *

I stood against the wall in the back of the café. I pulled out my hollow detector just to make sure there weren't any. All was clear. I heard a clink. Yukimura stepped out, not wearing her maid uniform anymore. Her hair was still loose and she hadn't put on her glasses.

"Hey, thanks for waiting," she said softly.

"Mm."

She rubbed her neck. "Umm, do you mind not telling anyone about this? It's kinda embarrassing."

"Whatever," I said in response. She nodded satisfyingly, knowing that I wouldn't say anything.

"So.." I started. "About that guy earlier…"

"Eh? You mean that creep?" she waved me off with a sour face. "Don't even talk about it. If that jerk comes back I'll beat the crap out of him," she clenched her fists and smiled demonically.

I shook my head and opened my mouth to speak.

"CAPTAIN!"

We turned. A panicked Matsumoto in shinigami form was running to us. One look at her face and I knew that there was trouble. "Hitsugaya-taichou, we have trouble. There's a-" A large burst of reiatsu flared behind us.

"Allow me to relieve you of the trouble of explaining." We all whirled to face the stranger. "My name Shawlong Koufang. And you're about to meet your doom."

* * *

**Ahh, this chapter kinda sucks. But I really wanted to post an update today. Happy early 4th of July!**


	6. Battle

**A/N: **Hello! Just wanted to say that I've been recently reading a lot of fanfictions lately. I noticed that my writing is so horrible in comparison. So from here on out, I will be giving it my all of the _quality _of my work. Once again, thank you to **hitherelovely **for your wonderful review.

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own Bleach! No copyright intended.

* * *

***WINTER*ANGEL* **

© _Tale Slayer _

**Chapter Six.**

* * *

Even though they were the 2nd and 3rd arrancars I'd ever seen, I had a feeling that they were on a whole different level. It was as if something was weighing me down. I shuddered. Toshiro took out a pez dispenser and popped a green candy into his mouth. He separated from his human body. My eyes bulged.

"Go take care of Yukimura," he muttered.

"Okay!" the human Toshiro saluted. Then he ran over to me and proceeded to drag me away to another place. I was too shocked to protest. But apparently, the arrancar took notice.

"Yukimura Katsumi?"

I was flabbergasted. _Why do all these arrancars know my name? What have I done? _

Apparently Toshiro was wondering the same thing. His eyes stormed. "What do you want with her?" he demanded.

"Who knows? Aizen-sama is the one who wants her. But you don't need to know anyways. You'll be dead soon," Shawlong said as he unsheathed his zanpakuto. Then he suddenly disappeared and reappeared behind Toshiro and struck. But Toshiro saw it and blocked it with his own zanpakuto.

"I apologize. I never fully introduced myself. I'm Shawlong Koufang, 11th arrancar. Fraccion of Grimmjow," he said, smirking.

"Hitsugaya Toshiro. Tenth division captain," Toshiro replied curtly.

"The Tenth Division captain _and_ the girl Aizen-sama is looking for. Magnificent news for me. This means I've hit the jackpot," his lips curled into a cruel smile. Meanwhile, the other arrancar, Nakeem Grindina, began to battle with Rangiku.

I could hardly follow any of their movements; they were incredibly fast so I could only stare in disbelief.

The human Toshiro giggled, "Hehehe so fast!"

I was dumbfounded that he had spoken. "W-wha what are you?"

He looked down at me with a goofy grin. "Mah name is King! Hitsugaya-taichou's gikon."

"Growl! Haineko!" I heard Rangiku command. Her blade turned into ash and surrounded the enemy. I could just tell from looking that she was having trouble. I bit my lip, feeling utterly useless. Unfortunately, Toshiro also seemed to be struggling, much to my surprise. Blood slowly trickled down from his forehead. I gasped.

"Sit upon the frozen heavens. Hyorinmaru!" I watched as his blade became ice and the sky grew dark. I swore the temperature dropped ten degrees. The ice grew and grew as huge ice dragon flowed out of the tip of the blade. The end of the hilt was connected to a long chain.

"King, what's that?" I pointed with amazement.

"Ooh, pretty~" he was too distracted by the falling bits of ice to answer my question. I sweat dropped. Despite Toshiro's efforts, he was still losing. Rangiku wasn't doing so well either. After more fighting, he grimaced.

I saw him stop and he shouted, "BANKAI!" His arms and legs froze over. Two large ice wings sprouted from his back as well as a long tail. Three ice flowers floated behind him.

"So that's a captain's bankai? Impress me," Shawlong sneered.

Toshiro let out a shout and attacked him in his new form. Next thing I knew, he had encased Shawlong in ice. After a moment, it seemed that the battle was over. But then the ice cracked and Shawlong reappeared, dusting off the ice as if it was nothing. Then they continued to fight and once again, I couldn't follow their actions very well. A large blast went off somewhere on the other side of town. Shawlong stopped for a moment.

"Those flowers behind you act as a countdown right?" I glanced at what he was talking about. Sure enough, the three flowers that had been there had been reduced to one.

"So what?" Toshiro retorted.

"When your Bankai disappears, killing you will be too easy. Saying how weak you are would be rude to you, a captain. While you remain in that form, at least let me defeat you with my greatest fighting ability."

My brows furrowed. He was hiding even more power?!

"Snip, Tijereta." It was as if he set off a smokescreen, I couldn't see him at all. When the smoke set aside, it revealed a new, transformed version of Shawlong. His hands transformed into long, bony claws. I could tell Toshiro was worried, so was I. Rangiku laid there, defeated by her enemy. I stared in horror as he slowly walked toward her. He lifted a foot to finish her off. But at the last second, she snapped right back up and easily held him off.

"Captain! We've been authorized to break the restriction!" she shouted. A flower glowed on her chest.

"It finally came?" Toshiro pulled back his kimono to reveal the same glowing flower on his chest. They both shouted, "Limit release!"

"What's this?" Shawlong asked, confused.

"In order to avoid unnecessarily influencing spirits in the real world, captains and vice-captains of the Gotei 13 have their reiatsu drastically limited by means of a seal, unique to their squad, before we come here." He explained. "The total amount of power sealed is 80% of our maximum." He paused. "In other words… five times stronger now. It's over Shawlong Koufang." He grasped his hilt.

Shawlong tensed. "Pull back! We're retreating!" He called out to his friend. But he had already lost to Rangiku.

Toshiro chased after him. "Ryuusenka." A ring of ice shot out and completely trapped Shawlong. It broke into pieces, and he died with no remains left. I sighed in relief. _Thank goodness._

My relief turned into despair when I saw Toshiro's ice wings shatter. He staggered, and then fell.

"Toshiro!" I cried out.

* * *

By the time King and I got up to the top of the building he fell to, Rangiku was already speaking desperately into a small headset. "We need Orihime-san! Now!"

Shortly after, a red-headed guy with tattoos came along with a girl. She was beautiful with a curvy body and long orange hair. I recognized her as Inoue Orihime, a junior at my school. As soon as she saw Toshiro's state, she put her hands up to her two hairpins and said, "Soten kisshun, I reject!" An orange light appeared over his body. I watched in awe as his injuries slowly faded away.

"She's healing him," a quiet Rangiku explained to me. Her expression was a mixture of relief and sadness.

I nodded, with a twinge of envy that I couldn't do anything to help. After a while, he started moving again. He sat up with a quiet groan.

"Hitsugaya-taichou! Are you okay?" Rangiku asked.

"Yeah." He thanked Orihime. The red-headed guy returned with two other people, an unconscious female shinigami, who appeared to be Kuchiki Rukia, and Kurosaki Ichigo. _Wait, Kurosaki Ichigo?! _He also donned the shinigami uniform. My jaw dropped in astonishment. So many people I thought were normal turned out to be involved with Soul Society. Orihime proceeded to heal the rest of the people.

"Oi, are you okay?" Toshiro asked. His turquoise eyes stared at me.

I suddenly felt a little happy. I slightly laughed. "Here you are, all beat up and you're worrying about how I'm doing?"

He pouted childishly. "I'm not worried about you, idiot."

I smiled. Then for some reason, my body moved without the consent of my brain. I hugged him. "I'm glad you're alright Toshiro." His first name just flowed out my mouth. I froze, preparing myself for a lecture about not calling him by his first name or not touching him. I released him so quickly it was as if I had just burnt myself.

"Ahahaha," I awkwardly laughed. "I mean… who cares about what happens to you?!" I hoped it was dark enough to hide my blush. He looked embarrassed.

"Wow, you're amazing Katsumi. Every time I call Toshiro by his first name, he just yells at me," Ichigo whistled. The red-headed shinigami and Rangiku stifled their laughs.

"Oho, taichou, I'm surprised at how close you two have gotten," Rangiku teased.

I saw Toshiro flush. I tried to get out of the situation. "T-that's not it! I- I was just…" I stammered. "I don't care about that bastard one bit!" I shout. Toshiro's veins popped. "Um. Anyways is he a shinigami too?" I pointed dumbly to Ichigo, trying to change the subject.

"Hm? Yeah I am," Ichigo replied.

"This is gonna be a long story. We'll talk on our way back to Inoue's house," Toshiro gestured. Orihime was done healing everyone, so we started walking.

"Ok first question! Where's Orihime-san's house?" I inquired.

"It's the house you've been coming to this past two weeks. Orihime just hasn't been there since she was training." Rangiku explained.

"I see. Umm," I looked at Orihime. "Are you human?" I blurted out. She smiled at me. She explained to me how she received her powers from her hairclips and how she got involved with shinigamis. As if on cue, Ichigo told me he was a substitute shinigami, meaning he was still human. He introduced Kuchiki Rukia, whom he received his powers from, and Abarai Renji, another shinigami. I knew a bit about Kuchiki Rukia, remembering how she suddenly came to our school and mysteriously disappeared. No one remembered her so it felt like she was just a dream.

I shuffled along. "Ehh, so all this time you've been protecting Karakura Town and I had no clue." Then I walked beside Toshiro. "Ne, Toshiro, your zanpakuto's an ice type right?"

"Yeah," he confirmed.

"Oh that's pretty cool," I commented.

He rolled his eyes, "That was lame."

"Hm?" I realized I accidentally made a pun saying his ice type zanpakuto was _cool_. I smiled with a mischievous glint in my eyes.

"Ahh, don't be so _cold_," I chided.

He glared. Everyone else started giggling.

"That's quite an _icy _stare," I noted.

"STOP IT!" he exploded comically, a vein on his forehead pulsing.

Everyone laughed hysterically. I doubled over laughing. Then I straightened up.

. . . "Geez, take a chill pill." With that, I took off laughing my head off as he chased after me. _I'm so lame. But it's alright to be cheesy if it means I can lighten the mood a little. _

"You're all so immature!" he ranted.

"I wouldn't say that when I'm the shortest one in the group~" I called back teasingly. That really ticked him off.

"Damn you!" he yelled. I giggled. Then I stumbled and tripped. Right as I was about to hit the ground, I felt someone grab my hand. Toshiro helped me from falling on my face once again.

"Hehe," I sheepishly grinned. "Thanks…"

He smirked smugly. "Serves you right." He dusted himself off. I realized that we were right in front of Orihime's house. I looked down to see that he hadn't released me yet. As if he read my mind, he instantly let go. We waited for the others.

* * *

"Is everyone here?" Toshiro asked as we all gathered in the living room.

"Ah, Ikkaku and Yumichika aren't," Renji said.

"Who?" I wondered out loud.

Rangiku explained. "Eh, they're just two idiots. One is bald and carries a wooden sword and the other is a gay narcissist." I had trouble picturing this.

The door was slammed open. "I'M. NOT. BALD." An angry figure stood at the doorway. His shiny bald head sparkled. He might've actually looked intimidating, had he not been wearing such an embarrassing shirt. It was white with pink polka dots and hearts. A smiling bear was in the center of the shirt. My hands flew to my mouth to contain my laughter.

Rangiku, Renji, and Ichigo on the other hand, did not suppress their hysteria. "Bwahaha! What the heck is that?" Rangiku bawled.

Ichigo's reaction was priceless. He fell over laughing, slapping on the ground because he couldn't breathe from laughing too much.

The bald guy glared. "What do you think you're laughing at, you punks?" He roared. "Damn you all! You're laughing too much!"

The other guy, who was extremely feminine-looking, wore feathers on his eyelashes. He too, broke out laughing. "Now, now. I think he- looks- quite- fashionable!" He said between gasps.

I sweat dropped at the scene before me. Toshiro slammed his first down. "Enough! Sit down you imbeciles!" They all immediately obeyed.

Rangiku introduced me to the two people. "Baldy's name is Madarame Ikkaku. Feather boy is Ayasegawa Yumichika." Yumichika looked at me up and down and eventually gave me a nod. Ikkaku observed me for a split second. They both started to argue with Rangiku but stopped when Toshiro shot them a death glare.

"S-sorry Hitsugaya-taichou," they apologized meekly. Toshiro's authority was evident.

"Now," he started. "We're here to discuss our next course of actions regarding Yukimura Katsumi."

I pouted. "If you're planning on guarding me 24/7, I don't need it! I don't need to be babysat."

"Shut up!" he snapped. "We don't know what Aizen wants with you." His eyes grew dark as soon as he mentioned this 'Aizen' person.

Rangiku looked very serious for once. "I know you don't like the idea of being watched over Katsumi. But please, this is best for all of us." She pleaded with me. I bit down on my lip.

"I don't wanna be a trouble…" I trailed off.

Renji spoke up. "We're here to protect Karakura Town and everyone in it. It's no trouble at all. It's our job." Everyone else nodded. I felt touched that they all felt the need to protect me, even though they barely knew me. But a nagging voice in my mind taunted at me, "_It's not that they care about you. It's just that they don't want you causing even more trouble." _

I grimaced. "Okay," I gave in reluctantly.

Toshiro gave an approving nod. "Then it's decided. As for finding out why you're targeted by the arrancars, only time will tell." They decided on who would be with me on certain days. After that was settled, everyone went home. Orihime, Rangiku, and Toshiro did not have to go anywhere of course. Rangiku walked me home, not taking any chances of me getting into trouble. She chatted animatedly on the way.

"Oh, Katsumi! I didn't mention it earlier cause I didn't want you to notice but..." she said with a sly smile. "You are absolutely drop dead gorgeous without your glasses and your pigtails!" She winked.

I grabbed my hair in horror. As she said, my hair was not braided and I forgot to put my glasses back on after work. I blushed, opening my mouth to speak but Rangiku was already skipping away.

"Goodnight Katsumi! Sleep well! I'll see you tomorrow," she waved. I let out a sigh with a smile and went up to my apartment, humming along the way.

As soon as I went in, I happily complied to Rangiku's suggestion, snuggling into my bed.


	7. Preparations

**A/N: **Hello there lovely people! Sooo sorry this update is a little late! I was unhappy yesterday because all the Bleach chapters were licensed from my favorite Bleach manga source! DAMMIT TITE KUBO, YOU FREAKIN' TROLL! $#! %# *sigh* But hey, I got **4 **new reviews! Thank you **narutofreak10**,** Mickeys Swaggmuffins**, Guest, and **anime0angel**! Even though people might consider that a very small number, I'm so so so happy and grateful.

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Bleach! No copyright intended. (Oh, I'm gonna stop putting this disclaimer note after Chapter 10- yeah this story IS going to continue! I'm pretty sure everyone knows I don't own Bleach by now... Sadly)

* * *

***WINTER*ANGEL* **

© _Tale Slayer _

**Chapter** **Seven.**

* * *

I tapped my pencil on the wooden clipboard I was holding and stared at the paper before me. A thousand thoughts jumped around in my head.

"Kaichou!" a voice called, snapping me back to reality. "Is this banner crooked?"I glanced up to observe the bright red banner with the words 'Cultural Festival!' plastered on in grey. I cocked my head to the side, thinking for a moment.

"The right side needs to lower a bit," I advised thoughtfully. Today was the day was completely dedicated preparing for the Cultural Festival, which was just 2 days away from today. Decorations were being put up, costumes were being made, and posters were hung. I had managed to record the showcase each classroom was partaking in. My class, 1-1, just so happened to be doing a maid café, much to my despair.

I glanced over at the costume makers. Kiyomi was part of this group. She noticed me watching.

"Ah, Katsumi-chan! C'mere, they are just so cute!" She cooed and proudly held up a black and white maid costume she had just finished making. "Oh I have one just for you," she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes. I gasped in horror. She turned her back and rummaged through a pile. Kiyomi was the only person other than Toshiro who knew that I worked part-time at a maid café. And I was positive she was having fun torturing me.

I stopped her from continuing to look for it. "N-no, that's not necessary Kiyomi. I won't be working in the café as a maid."

She and the other girls looked up. "Ehh? You _have _to Katsumi!"

"You would look so stunning!" another girl put in. Everyone nodded in agreement.

I sputtered. "Absolutely not! I'm the student council president! I'll be the manager of the café, not a maid!" I tried to talk my way out of it. There was absolutely no way I was going to humiliate myself in school.

"I already made you a costume," Kiyomi widened her eyes into a sad puppy look, pleading with me. I hated it when she made that face.

I looked away. "No," I held my ground.

"But…" she protested. "I already told some people that you'd be in it. And they immediately agreed to come! Think about the people you'll be letting down!"

I nearly fainted. "You did what now? How much is 'some'?"

She sheepishly grinned. "Not much," she brushed it off. "Just, maybe like 3 classes, some of my friends, your entire fan club, a couple of guys, nothing much." She smiled innocently.

My face turned red, ignoring the 'fan club' part. "I'm going to kill you," I threatened darkly, cracking my knuckles. I moved in on her but someone who called for my help interrupted. "This isn't over!" I pointed at her.

"So you _are _participating in the café as a maid!?" she asked loudly, more like a statement rather than a question. I face palmed but walked away without answering.

"So we just finished our first batch of flyers. Who do you want to pass them out right now?" a boy asked. I looked around the classroom, tapping my foot. I spotted Toshiro, who was casually sitting there with ear buds in both ears. I turned back to the boy. "I'll get someone to do it. Thank you!" I said with a smile. He flushed and awkwardly nodded.

I walked up to Toshiro's desk. I dropped the stack of flyers and looked at him.

"May I help you?" he asked.

"As a matter of fact, you can." I pointed at the flyers. "These need to be passed out so that we can advertise the Cultural Festival. Can you stand at the school gates and pass them out?"

He looked at me as if I was crazy. I crossed my arms, not taking no for an answer.

"Please Toshiro?"

He didn't say anything for a moment. Then he eventually sighed and grabbed the pile. "So troublesome."

"Thank you! Oh, and be nice! Don't scare people away from the festival." I reminded him. He grunted and slowly exited the classroom. I went back to supervising everyone else.

* * *

Halfway through the day, I decided to go check on Toshiro outside.

"Ah, Toshiro!" I called out. He glanced over. "How are you doing?" I saw that the huge stack had reduced to a few sheets of paper, 5 at most. "Wow! How'd you give out so many so fast? There were hundreds of flyers!" I asked in disbelief. He shrugged. Then I saw an example of how he had managed to do so. A pair of blushing girls had walked up to him.

"U-um, what're you passing out?" they asked him, obviously drooling over him.

He passed a flyer to both of them. "Karakura's Cultural Festival," he replied curtly. The girls swooned over his voice. I bit back a snicker.

"What class are you going to be in?" they asked determinedly. Their goal so obvious- to go to the festival in hopes of seeing him.

"Class 1-1. We're doing a café," he informed them. He probably didn't even notice how they were ogling him. They nodded excitedly.

"We'll be there!" they declared and skipping away giggling. "He's so hot!" they said when they thought he couldn't hear them.

I rolled my eyes. "Gee, must be hard being drop dead gorgeous," I said sarcastically, shooting him a wary look.

He raised an eyebrow with his lips curled. I heatedly realized that I probably just implied that _I _thought he was 'drop dead gorgeous'.

"I-I mean that that _I _think that, it's just that-," I sputtered fervently.

He cut me off. "Must be hard having your own fan club," he retorted, dripping of sarcasm. I flushed, shocked that he actually overheard what Kiyomi said earlier in class.

"Kiyomi was just joking; I don't have a fan club," I defended.

"Yes you do," he replied nonchalantly. "Not that you would notice, with your head always in the clouds."

My eyes widened. "Whatever," I spat and changed the subject. "Let's go, we need to print more flyers." I turned on my heel and started walking fast. I saw out of the corner of my eye him passing the last few flyers to a group of girls. Then he slowly followed me.

"You _are_ going to the festival, aren't you?" I asked him.

"_Are_ you going to dress up as a maid in front of everyone?" he countered.

I paled. "No," I replied.

"Well I'm not going to some useless event," he smoothly said.

"But everyone's going to be there! Rangiku, Ichigo, Rukia, Renji, Ikkauku, and Yumichika!" I counted off.

"Then they can watch over you. I'm not going," he kept a steely glare.

I frowned. "But…" I trailed off.

"What?" he asked with an annoyed, but curious, expression.

"You're our secret weapon!" I admitted.

His brows knitted in confusion. I sighed. "Whichever class in Karakura High makes the most profit will get rewarded from the principal!" I explained.

"So..? What does that have to do with me?" he asked, utterly confused.

I demonically smiled. "_You_," I pointed at him. "Are going to attract everyone's attention by being a butler in our café!" I revealed my ulterior motive.

His jaw dropped in disbelief and profusely refused. I grabbed his arm and started Plan A: begging. "Please? We'll make and have your suit ready and everything! All you need to do is wear it and stay in the café. Serve a few people!" When I saw him shaking his head in disagreement, I bargained. "You don't even have to serve then! Just stand at the door and greet the guests!"

He tried to shake me off. "Absolutely not! Release me!" he demanded in a fluster. I completely latched onto his arm.

"You _have _to!" I demanded. If pleading did not work, I would just have to make him go. "I refuse to let go until you do!" I threatened, completely serious. He started walking, dragging me along. He stared at me as if I had grown another head. His face turned red. I looked at him with a questioning look. "So will you do it?" I asked again.

"NO!" he comically roared.

"Aw, come on. Don't be such an ass," I coaxed. Wrong choice of words.

"M-me? YOU'RE THE ONE BEING A PAIN IN THE ASS!" he shouted exasperatedly.

"Toshiro, I need you!" I begged again. He blushed, making me realize how that came out wrong, causing me to blush. Again, another wrong choice of words.

"Che, you're the most annoying person I have ever met," he said.

"So you'll do it?" I questioned.

"If you let me go," he started. I broke out into a triumphant smile. "I will consider you offer," he finished.

I shrugged and let go of his arm. "Friends help each other out. So I know you'll be there!"

He rolled his eyes. "I am not your friend," he said bluntly. It felt like déjà vu. But this time, I couldn't help but notice that he said it with a little less venom.

"Whatever," I said and nudged him. "You'll realize I'm your friend sooner or later."

"Or never," he concluded.

I made a noise in disapproval. "Must you always be so pessimistic? Try smiling more."

"Must you always be so optimistic?" he countered, making no signs of wanting to smile.

I frowned. "I'm going to make you smile one day or another, Toshiro." I declared. He rolled his eyes again.

"I am!" I insisted. "Do you even know how to smile? You know, you curve your lips up. A sign of happiness," I teased him. I demonstrated by beaming.

"I'm well aware of what a smile is," he sniffed, arms crossed defensively.

"Never would've guessed," I said finally. We were at the classroom now and I opened the door and stepped in. "Kiyomi! He agreed to butlering! You can start making his suit now!"

"Already on it! It's almost finished~" she squealed excitedly. I probably should've expected that. The other girls shared her excitement. They merrily worked on the costumes, happy to know that they'd be blessed with the sight of Toshiro in a suit, as a butler.

Toshiro pinched his nose bridge. "I merely said I would _consider _it," he told me exasperatedly.

"Yeah yeah," I said like a mother brushing off her child. I heaved another heavy stack of flyers and handed it to him; this one probably twice as much as the last. He carried it easily. "Now go advertise!" I commanded, giving him a thumbs up. "Work hard!"

He rolled his eyes and raked his white hair with one hand. "Troublesome girl," he muttered under his breath. Yet despite all of his complaining, he walked out to do so nevertheless. I inwardly laughed. Maybe Toshiro was a big softie after all- when it came to helping his friends.

* * *

When the lunch bell rang, everyone quickly hurried out of the room like starved dogs. My brows furrowed. I was hungry myself but I continued to set up decorations.

"Katsumi, you're not coming to eat?" Kiyomi chirped. She stood behind me, looking over my shoulder.

"No, you go on without me," I said.

"I'll just eat here then!" she declared. She brushed off a nearby desk and whipped out her lunch. "Itadakimasu!"

I smiled a little as she dug in to her food.

"So.." she started. "_Toshiro_, huh?"

I flinched. "What are you talking about?" I asked slowly.

She gleefully smirked. "You're already so friendly. Using his first name and all."

I rolled my eyes and fiddled with some papers as if they were the most fascinating things I had ever seen. "Oh did I?" I asked nonchalantly.

She placed her chopsticks down. "Come on! You _have _to tell me what's going on!"

I huffed. "There is _nothing _going on. Nothing!" I repeated for emphasis. I felt a twinge of guilt for hiding everything from her. I bit the inside of my cheek. "_You promised them," _my conscious reminded me.

She frowned. "You don't even have the slightest crush on him?"

"No," I declared haughtily. "And I never will."

She sighed sadly. "You sure?" she asked suspiciously.

"Positive," I said firmly.

"Fine," she moped. "But you have to admit he's… interesting."

"I guess," I said to satisfy her. She was, so she finally dropped the matter and continued to chatter on about other things. _If only you knew. _


	8. Festival part 1

**A/N: **I've recently received some generous reviews. Guys... My heart. I can't take it. Too much happiness. Just kidding, I can TOTALLY take it! Keep them coming? Every time I see a new review, I literally want to jump around and cry tears of joy. Your support fuels me! Thank you to **kage no seikatsu**, **StephanieLockedInTheT****ARDIS**, and **I am Sky daughter of Z****eus**. In other news, Bleach is on hiatus. Uwaa, I need my weekly Bleach chapter!

***Currently working on the cover picture drawing. Any suggestions? Leave them in a review!* **

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Bleach! No copyright intended.

* * *

***WINTER*ANGEL* **

© _Tale Slayer _

**Chapter** **Eight.**

* * *

I woke up about 5 minutes before my obnoxious alarm went off. It was Saturday, which already set me off in a good mood. But today especially, I just couldn't help but hum happily to myself. The festival was an hour away. I had to go to the school early for last-minute touch ups and such, being the underclassman's student president and all. Even though I'd never admit it, I really did look forward to the festival like a 5-year old yearns for candy. Not only was it a chance to show off the fruits of everyone's efforts, but it was actually fun.

I headed out, imagining the success that would come. I thought about how smashing our café would be. That stopped me in my tracks for a second. Already, I could feel a dreading feeling of the ominous force that was called Nakamura Kiyomi. There was a 99.9% chance that she was going to force me into being a maid of the café. Ok, a 100%. But that didn't mean I wasn't going to protest.

"Katsumi!" a voice called me. I glanced up. Asano Mizuho was waving to me. "Could you help me?" she carried a long, red, satin ribbon.

I rushed forward and grabbed the other end. With a smile, I answered, "Of course Asano-senpai."

Mizuho was the student president for the upperclassmen. She was famous for being in charge of many school clubs, especially the kendo club. And she was also notable for her… hostile and violent personality, usually to her brother, Keigo. But I didn't blame her. The guy was a creep. Nevertheless, I looked up to her with respect. A little bit of fear, but mostly respect.

"Ooh, I can't wait for this festival to get started!" she gushed excitedly. She clasped her hands together over her heart. "And my darling is going to be here!" She sighed contently and I could practically see her eyes literally transform into hearts. I didn't know whether to be happy for her or scared.

We lifted up the ribbon. She walked to the other side of the gate, approximately 10 feet away, and tied a firm knot to the rail. I did the same. As we did so, I conversationally asked, "Oh, you have boyfriend Asano-senpai?"

She immediately bobbed her head with gleaming eyes. "Yes, oh he's the loveliest sight!" Then her gaze turned dark and murderous. "If any of these bitches so much as touch my darling, I will kill them."

I sweat dropped and started heading inside the building without another word. I walked throughout the school to glance in every room and double check all the decorations. By the time I was done, students who were participating in their classes' respective activity began to arrive and busily begin to prepare.

A certain massive chest was pushed into my face as I was forced into a hug. I didn't need any words to instantly recognize who this was.

"Good morning Rangiku. Please release me," I blandly said.

After 3 gasps of airs and 4 squeaks later, she finally did so. "I can't wait for the festival to start! Oh I just love the World of Living!" She jumped up and down like a little girl, causing her voluptuous breasts to bounce up and down. This action was appreciated by many guys, earning her stares and quiet wolf whistles.

A brainless, brown-haired guy rocketed towards her. "Are my eyes failing me? My Booby-Goddess has arrived!" he screeched.

Rangiku casually kicked him in the solar plexus. He dropped to the floor. Even I winced. Damn, Rangiku could be scary sometimes.

Unfortunately, Asano Keigo quickly got back up. He held his gut in pain. "My my, you pack- quite- a- kick." A dying cough punctuated his every word. Then he noticed me. My blood curdled in disgust. "Why Katsumi-chan~" he began to coo. He was cut off with a kick to the head.

"Shut up," Ichigo said casually and he proceeded to twist his heel into Keigo's scalp. I tried to stifle a laugh.

"Good morning!" I said gratefully to him. He nodded. I greeted Rukia, Orihime, Renji, Ikkaku, and Yumichika who followed up behind him. Two other individuals were with them- a tall, dark-skinned, muscular man and a much shorter, black-haired guy wearing spectacles. The latter looked puny and frail compared to the former. I could only assume they were friends with Ichigo.

I bowed politely. "My name is Yukimura Katsumi. Nice to meet you."

The bespectacled guy pushed up his glasses with a finger. "I know," he primly replied. "Ishida Uryu." Seeing that there wasn't anything interesting going on, he politely excused himself, muttering about some sewing situation.

"Sado Yasutora," the other rumbled.

I shifted on my foot and looked at Ichigo expectantly.

He obviously read my mind. "They're human. Like Orihime, they have special abilities."

I nodded. "So you all are in the same class?"

Rangiku answered, "Yeah! Ugh it's so annoying. They attract so much attention!" she whined. I bit my tongue in order to not point out that she definitely attracted attention to herself.

"Well that's nice. I'm stuck with Toshiro in my class."

She snickered. "Taichou was too short and young to pass off as a junior!"

Speaking of him, I looked around to see if he was hiding somewhere. When I didn't spot him, I nibbled on my lip with irritation. If he didn't show up…

"Toshiro has a stick up his ass. Who knows if he's showing up?" Ichigo said with a sigh.

Rukia socked him in the face. "How dare you badmouth a captain of the Gotei 13?" Ichigo glowered at her. Renji and Ikkaku snickered and Orihime laughed lightly. I smiled.

"Well he better be here," I said worriedly. "Our class needs him."

"Oh! He's been muttering about it yesterday." She proceeded to cross her arms and furrow her brows in an imitation of him. "Tch. Idiots. Asking me to do such a thing," she mock grumbled. I laughed.

"What _are _you guys even doing?" Renji asked.

My face slightly heated up. "A *cough* maid *cough* café," I quickly answered. Immediately, Keigo, who has been unconscious just a second ago, snapped his head up.

All of their eyes widened. "It wasn't my idea!" I hastily put in, stamping a foot.

They bursted out laughing. It must have been a sight: a large group of juniors just laughing their heads off. What made it worse was that all of them were pretty infamous across the school. I gaped at my new, but already close, friends. I hissed. I complained. I did anything to make them stop laughing, but they ignored me.

"You- in- a maid costume- I've got to see this," Rangiku said in a fitful of laughing. The others nodded. I merely paled.

_"Then just come to Sweet Hut café Thursdays and Fridays," _I secretly thought to myself. Not that I'd dare tell any of them that.

"I must come to judge the beauty," Yumichika put in.

"Tch, I don't care as long as you got food," Ikkaku said. Renji agreed.

Rukia suggested something about making it Chappy the bunny themed. Whereas Orihime grabbed my hands determinedly. "Yukimura-san! I could give you my secret recipe of red velvet and crab cupcakes," she said all too seriously. Her input just left me in a daze wondering, "_Red velvet and crab? More like red velvet and _crap_ cupcakes!_"

"You guys don't have to come," I protested weakly. "In fact, it's better if you don't. Besides, I'm not even going to be a maid!"

Just then, Kiyomi seemed to think that was the best time to 'just so happen' to walk by. "Oh yes you are!" she called mischievously and skipped away. I face palmed.

"Oh yes we are!" Rangiku insisted. Before I could retort, Mizuho stumbled upon us.

Ikkaku seemed to notice her first. And for the first time since I met him, he actually looked scared. "Shit," he squeaked. I scratched my head, puzzled. Mizuho saw him and her mouth formed a small 'o'.

Not a second later, she launched herself at him. "Darling~" she squealed. Meanwhile, Ikkaku's face had turned into a sickly shade of green. His bald head seemed to lose its shine. Everyone else backed away from the two. Ichigo, Renji, Yumichika, and Rangiku were practically dying from keeping their laughter muffled. Keigo just looked sick as his sister nuzzled Ikkaku fondly.

"Dammit…" he growled. "Don't you bastards dare leave me with her!" he spat.

"Oh no! Wouldn't want to- intrude- on the lovely couple!" Ichigo quickly said, gasps for air breaking up his sentence.

If Mizuho noticed Ikkaku's discomfort, she sure as heck didn't show it. "Glad you understand. Now go work on the haunted house," she commanded. "Let's go sweetieeeee!" With that, she promptly dragged Ikkaku away. Right before they turned the corner, Ikkaku let out one final bellow.

"Damn you guuuuuuyyyyyysssssssss!"

Everyone finally broke out laughing.

* * *

The 2 hours prior to the festival went by very quickly. And soon enough, a large crowd of people were already gathered before the gates of Karakura High. I spotted a lot of girls, fanning themselves with the flyers that were handed out yesterday. I smirked and rolled my eyes. They probably couldn't bear to throw them away since it was given to them by Toshiro.

Since Mizuho was much too occupied with a grumpy Ikkaku, I had the honor of making the announcement and cutting the ribbon. You know, you would think the principal would be doing these kinds of things, but no. I could only hope I didn't trip and fall on my face as I was cutting the ribbon.

I stepped up to the microphone and cleared my throat. A hush came over the antsy crowd. I put on a smile and spoke in a kind, sincere tone.

"Thank you everyone for coming here today! We're proud to present you Karakura High's infamous Cultural Festival! As always, we hope you enjoy and have fun!" I spoke loudly with confidence. Finally, I quickly added something of my own to the quick speech. "Please come by Class 1-1's maid café. You won't be disappointed!" I said so quickly it was a stream of words.

Then, I lifted up the big, flashy scissors and cut through the ribbon. I handed to a random student standing by and immediately dashed back inside the building to avoid the stampede that was to come. People overflowed into the school. I took my position to help anyone who needed it.

* * *

After hours of guiding lost people, helping about other students, and checking on every class' progress; I soon noticed it was already mid-afternoon. I finally decided to head to my own class. I strode past many happy families and guests. Upon reaching my class, I saw it was quite crowded.

Noting the long line of customers, I smiled. I had to push past everyone, muttering, "I'm part of this class." As soon as I stepped in, I was instantly captivated. The classroom had transformed into a homey café. An assortment of pastel tablecloths dressed dainty pure white tables. On each table sat a miniature vase filled with flowers. Soft music flowed around the room, creating a serene atmosphere. I had to admit the classroom was very dazzling. It felt welcoming. I slightly swelled with pride. I glanced down and fingered a soft baby blue frill of a nearby tablecloth.

"May I help you Goshuujin-sama?" Kiyomi approached me. I gave her a once-over. Sure enough, she was gorgeous in a maid outfit. Her costume was white, black, and lilac, her favorite color. She flashed me a toothy grin that probably would've melted any boy's heart.

I smiled back and tapped on my chin, pretending that I was actually thinking to play along. She lost her smile.

"Seriously though Katsumi, we need help!" she said seriously, grabbing my arm and pulling me.

"With what?" I feigned ignorance.

"Serving," she hissed. She dragged me to the back, where all the employees were.

I crossed my arms. "No way, we're doing fine!"

"Hellooo? Did you see the line? People are getting impatient!" She tapped her foot.

I peeked out. I did have to admit that the ones waiting outside were getting antsy. The customers inside, on the other hand, were a different story.

"And Hitsugaya-san isn't here!" she whined with a stomp.

I frowned. "He'll be here," I muttered.

"You cannot believe how many girls have asked us where he us," she sighed. She began to imitate one of them with a snooty, fake-cute voice. "Um, excuse me. But where's the young man who was passing out the flyers yesterday? He has silver hair." She rolled her eyes.

I chuckled.

"Sumi, this is no laughing matter. Now go change into this!" Before I could comprehend what was going on, she made a garment appear out of thin air, shoved it in my hand, and forcefully pushed me into a changing room. "Don't you even dare think about protesting," she grounded out with a tone that I recognized. It was the tone she used only when she was deathly serious.

So I sighed and held out the garment with both hands to observe it. A squeak escaped my mouth. The costume was a few snips away from being on the borderline of scandalous. Or maybe I was just being a prude, but still. "Kiyomi!" I barked.

"Just try it on! It's beautiful!" she demanded.

I furiously stared at the outfit. Sure, I was used to wearing maid costumes. But the one I wore at work was a little more 'traditional'. This one was different.

"What is this? A size 0000?" I scoffed.

Kiyomi giggled. "It's just a 0! You'll fit it!"

I changed into it so that I could examine it in the mirror. I at least liked the color- white and a powder blue. The cut was very near to being dangerously low. The short, puffy sleeves hung off my shoulders. The suede bodice laced up in the front. The bottom portion of the dress clung to my body and then gradually flowed out. It ended about 3 inches above my knee. Thigh-high satin stockings, outlined with lace and ribbons at the top, came along with the dress. I flushed at my appearance.

"You done?" Kiyomi called. I didn't answer, so apparently, that indicated a yes. She drew back the curtain.

I jumped in surprise. "Don't do that! I could've been changing!"

She ignored me. "Oh. My. Gosh," she deadpanned. I paled. "You look AMAZING! I knew it!" She giddily gushed as she grabbed my hands. I did _not_ like where this was going.

I wrenched away from her. "You're my best friend. You're programmed to say things like that," I stammered.

"Programmed?" she put a hand to her chest like she was offended. "No really, you are!" She bobbed her head up and down. Then, without warning, she suddenly grabbed my hair ties that held my braids together and yanked down.

"Hey!" I protested with a wince.

Once again, she ignored me. She ran her fingers through my hand to undo the braids. "Oh you have such pretty hair Sumi," she said dreamily. Then she reached up to my glasses.

I swatted her away. "No!" I pointed at her as if I was a toddler.

"Oh c'mon. We both know you have perfect vision," she reached up once again. I swatted her again and glowered. She backed off. "Fine, fine. You can keep them on."

Just then, three of the maid employees walked by. They saw me and squealed, "Yukimura-san? You look beautiful!" I feverishly blushed.

"I am _not _going out in this!" I seethed, turning onto a smiling Kiyomi.

Kiyomi shook her head and tsked. "You have to!"

"You said I just had to try it on," I whined.

She scoffed. "Oh come on, we both know it wasn't just going to be 'trying it on.'" She firmly grabbed my arm with a new found strength. "Now chop chop, customers are waiting."

I stalled. "Um, but I have no shoes." I waggled a shoeless foot to demonstrate.

She held up a bag. "Already covered," she smirked.

I pouted. "You are an evil, evil person."

She shrugged and pulled out two dainty pair of black, mary jane wedges. She handed them to me. "Aren't they just the cutest things?" she cooed.

I took them with an eye roll. I reluctantly slipped them on. Unfortunately, they fitted perfectly. The wedge height was not overly dramatic, much to my relief. But they did make me a good inch taller. I stood up shakily and examined them in a mirror. They made my legs appear to be thin and delicate.

"They are surprisingly comfy," I offered to her weakly.

She nodded excitedly. "Oh, I almost forgot!" she exclaimed as she rummaged through yet another bag. She pulled something out and placed it onto my head with one swift movement.

I groaned. "What is that?" I looked in the mirror again. She had placed a dolly-like headband on me.

She cocked her head to the side. "_Now _you're ready." She placed a notepad and a pen in one of my hands, seized the other one with her own, and began to drag me.

I sputtered. "Honestly, I really can't go out there!" Yet once again, she ignored me.

"Don't worry. You'll be fine," she reassured me. With one final tug, I was back in the café room. Invulnerably exposed to everyone. I grew flustered by the moment as every head turned to me. My face was probably a brighter red than Renji's hair. Kiyomi on the other hand, didn't seem worried at all. She flashed a grin at me and left to attend to a customer's orders.

I stood there stupidly. I shifted uncomfortably, tugging the ends of my dress to somehow magically make them longer.

"Excuse me? We're ready to order," a timid squeak came from behind me, effectively snapping me back to reality. Immediately, I let a calm take over me. I took a poker face on and let my instincts take over.

I turned and calmly walked over to them. I switched on my 'maid' mode. "Good afternoon Goshuujin-samas, what would you like?" I asked the two guys. They were probably from another class, on a break.

They gaped at me as if they were fish out of water. After a while, I arched an eyebrow.

One of them coughed and quickly picked up the menu, designed by yours truly. "I-I'd like a small caramel cappuccino and a slice of angel food cake." I immediately scribbled this down effortlessly.

His friend also picked up the menu. He glanced up at me with a flustered face. "Um, I'll have the strawberry smoothie and red bean bun."

I nodded and recorded it down on the notepad. "Your order will be out momentarily. Thank you," I said with a slight bow. Their eyes widened. I froze, realizing I had unconsciously bowed to them like I did at work. I stood upright and stiffly walked away. I neatly tore off the note and stuck it to the order rack. I leaned against the wall and sighed.

"Aren't you a natural?" Kiyomi commented as she walked by with a plate in one hand. She winked knowingly before walking away.

A ding from the bell indicated my order was ready. I observed the food and smiled happily. It had been a good idea to ask a student's parent, a professional baker, to come help. The drinks came in tall glasses. And the desserts were carefully and beautifully arranged. They smelled heavenly, making my mouth water a bit. I balanced everything with two hands and walked back to the table. I set it down quietly. They thanked me multiple times. I merely nodded and went to attend to another table.

I noticed the line of customers was still long, if not longer, and the people were getting impatient. Meanwhile, it was so painfully obvious who was here for Toshiro. They sat and stayed for an unnecessarily long amount of time. One pair of girls was especially persistent. When the other employees approached them to politely ask them to leave so that other customers could come in, they simply glared and stayed in their seats.

I decided to take the matter into my own hands. I all but stomped over to them. "Excuse me," I said politely. "Is there anything I can help you with today?"

"No," they said curtly with a snobby tone.

"I see. Well then, due to an excessive amount of customers, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to come back at another time so that we can seat our other guests," I continued through a forced smile.

They started glaring at me. I glared right back without saying a word. "Please. Leave. And come back when we are less busy," I growled with a voice that could've cut through steel.

They paled. Finally, they picked up their purses and scurried out. I smiled in a sense of accomplishment. I felt someone tap me on my back.

A classmate timidly informed me, "U-um, a couple of our guests have been inquiring where Hitsugaya-san is. A couple of them are getting angry and accusing us of 'keeping him for ourselves.'"

I scoffed. "As if." Still, my brows furrowed worryingly.

_Dammit, where the hell are you Toshiro?_

* * *

**And that concludes part 1 of the Festival! So far, this is my longest chapter. Sorry if this update was a little slow. School is next month and I decided to finally start on my AP summer homework instead of being a huge procrastinator. Don't forget to review!  
**


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